June 2017

Thousands of high school students interested in health care careers descended upon Disney World and became more acquainted with pharmacy during International HOSA’s (Health Occupations Students of America) annual conference in Orlando. CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy featured prominently in various activities, including a popular interactive exhibit and five workshops. Read More

Can you imagine total silence or hearing only muffled conversations? “You adapt,” says recent CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy graduate Lauren Kirchner. “But there is an advantage. Patients think I am really engaging with them because I am concentrating on their lips and hearing what they have to say.”

And in a career that requires patient interaction, being attentive is a plus. Read More

A great preceptor doesn’t just give professional guidance and help mentees grow academically, they also help students grow personally and learn to believe in themselves. That’s exactly what Dr. Erin Johnson-Mundo does, and because of that is the winner of this year’s Health-System Excellence in Precepting Award.

“She is truly an exceptional preceptor,” says University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences fourth year student Ursula Fiala, “Erin was supportive, encouraging and patient during the entire rotation which really helped to build my confidence. She also treated me with respect kindness and compassion.” Read More

Creator and host of the Talk Pharmacy podcast, Ahsun Babalmorad is a natural when it comes to interviewing his subjects. The program, which airs on iTunes, provides listeners with interviews of students and faculty, offering insights into the world of pharmacy and the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy.

Of Iranian heritage, Babalmorad comes by his ability to talk — and more importantly to listen — naturally. His father worked for an American oil company prior to the Iranian revolution in the 1970s and was sent to study engineering in the US. While here, the revolution broke out back home, so his father and mother decided to stay and raise a family. “At that time, my parents saw more opportunity in the US than in their home country,” says Babalmorad, a first generation American and Colorado native. Read More

After attaining his bachelor of biomedical sciences from Western Michigan, Ross Osgood took some time off to figure out what he really wanted to do.

“I was kind of on a pre-med track,” says Osgood.

“I bounced around between med school, dental and PA programs – not really feeling like any of them were the right fit.” So, he shadowed dentists and worked in a nursing home, but still was unconvinced that any of those allied health care careers were right for him. “But when I started doing research, it just clicked.”

During the year between undergrad and grad school, he missed the deadline to sign up for dental school, so he joined Americorps instead. Read More

When she was 10 years old, a classmate and friend was diagnosed with a brain tumor. At age 15, her friend died. “It was the first time I had ever heard the word cancer and that really left an imprint on me,” says Pittman.

“Since high school I knew I wanted a career in health care, specifically pediatric oncology,” says Pittman. Read More